A Runner's Best Friend

Choosing the right canine companion

When I started running five years ago, I would arrange my schedule around my sister’s so that we could run together.

She had been running much longer, and, frankly, I depended on her motivating companionship—even if it meant waking early on a Saturday, or waiting for her to get home from work.

It only took a few runs for me to realize that Pam wasn’t nearly so dependent upon me. It was once, when Pam leaned over after a great run to congratulate Jake, her German shepherd, before she did me, that I realized the secret: with Jake, Pam was never alone, and never without motivation. When Jake saw Pam reach for her running shoes, he knew it was their time. He would jet toward the door and happily accept his running leash that fastened around Pam’s waist.

Not long after, my new border collie and I took our first run together. Flint was perfect. He stayed on my left, ignored cars, gave me energy and made the run fun.

The Right Breed

Our success, I recently discovered, was partly luck. My uneducated selection of Flint as my friend and running partner proved to be a very fortunate choice, according to Dr. Robert Novo of the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine. As a border collie, a working breed, he not only wants, but needs to run.

"Really most of the hunting and working breeds are good runners," Novo said. "These dogs were bred for high activity and stimulation, and if they don’t get enough exercise, they will drive the owners crazy with all their pacing."

This energy level is definitely a positive for keeping me going on the trail. For people in the market for running partners, Novo specifically recommends retriever breeds, huskies, pointers, and Australian shepherds.

Buy from respectable breeders who are known for properly caring for and breeding dogs.

Avoid dogs with short legs—they weren’t built for running. She recommends mid-sized and large dogs, particularly dogs bred for hunting and sport that have high endurance and energy.

Avoid heavy-breed dogs that can be over-worked too easily.

Take the climate into consideration when choosing a dog. Runners living in hot southern climates should avid long-haired dogs, like my collie, which are perfectly suited to cold northern winters.

Another issue to keep in mind is that buying a high-energy dog for running means the owner is responsible to provide the high-energy exercise that good running dogs need. "A lot of people own them, and they don’t provide [the needed exercise]," Mertens laments. Not only is that bad for the dog’s health, but under-exercised, endurance-bred dogs are "like hyperactive children," Novo says.

The Right Training

Once a dog has been selected and is at least eight weeks old, Mertens recommends puppy training. She advocates positive, not corrective, training. For this, an owner may want to consult a trainer certified by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. To find an APDT trainer, owners can use the geographical search function found on their website, www.APDT.com.

A primary focus of training is socialization, which Mertens says is provided "so that your dog is confident around people and other dogs." Training teaches dogs to ignore potential distractions during runs, and to respond to basic commands. Mertens reminds athletes who allow their dogs to run along off-leash in remote areas that they "want to make sure [their dogs] have really good recall." Also, dogs should be trained to run alongside their owners.

As an advocate of positive training, Mertens discourages the use of choke chains and pronged or pinch collars that use pain to punish the dog. Instead, she recommends that runners use leaders for their dogs (www.gentleleader.com). These leaders strap around the neck and nose and allow greater control of the dog’s head, and Mertens notes, "If you have control over the dog’s head, you have more control over the animal." Other types of equipment made especially for runners and their dogs, such as harnesses that allow hands-free running, are available at running stores.

The Right Training Schedule

Perhaps the most important aspect that runners should keep in mind during training and running is the dog’s health. Both Mertens and Novo emphasize consistency from the start.

"People should really look at dog activity levels as we look at our own levels," Novo said. "If we have not exercised a lot, we are not going to go out and run a couple of miles. Just because they have four legs, it doesn’t mean that they can run twice as far as we can. They need to build up their activity levels to get them to long runs."

Specifically, Novo suggests training dogs with controlled activity. "Exercising dogs does not mean letting them out in the yard for a couple of hours," he said. This "uncontrolled" activity is hard on dogs’ joints. Novo recommends walks and runs which "build up muscles and strengthen the joints along the normal range of motion."

Even after dogs have built up to full runs, owners need to remain considerate of their running partners. Runs should begin slowly, Novo says, and gradually build up speed. Owners should use common sense while running. If a dog seems to lag behind, it probably is tired or out of breath. If this occurs in hot weather and is paired with a long, dragging tongue, the dog may be overheated. Because of the possibility of these situations, owners should allow dogs to rest, and should have water available at all times. Novo says, "If it is very hot outside, owners may not want to run as far, or they should take the time to rest at various intervals during their run. Swimming in a cool lake will also drop [a dog’s] temperature quickly."

Sometimes dogs will, as in the case of lagging behind, tell their owners when they’ve had enough, but this isn’t always true. Mertens says. "They’ll push themselves quite extensively, so you have to be careful." Novo recommends that owners determine distance based on the training a dog has had. If the dog is stiff the day after a long run, "you probably overdid it." Mertens advises that marathon distances are probably too much for dogs.

Dogs with health problems may require accommodations. "A dog with arthritis will require lower-impact activity," Novo says. "A dog with cardiac disease may not want to be severely exercised. A dog with respiratory problems may not want to be exercised in hot weather. Overweight dogs will heat up quicker and have less stamina than a thin dog. Dogs with these issues will benefit more with going on long walks several times a day, rather than running."

Novo and Mertens recommend that owners work closely with their veterinarians to assess their dogs’ needs, including nutrition. From the start, dogs should be checked for genetic and orthopedic problems.

This if-you’re-in-the-market-for-a-pup business can sound selfish, but the relationship between a runner and a dog transcends ownership. I have developed great love and respect for Flint, who lives to run. Now he is as eager to run with me as Jake was with Pam. As soon as I put on my running socks, he knows it’s our time.